After Iowa State’s season opener was canceled because of lightning, the Cyclones floundered to a 1-3 start. Quarterback Kyle Kempt suffered a knee injury during the team’s first full game, and backup Zeb Noland proved ineffective, eventually deciding to transfer.

Third-year coach Matt Campbell had generated excitement around the program by winning eight games in 2017, including victories over No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 TCU. After the slow start in 2018, the Cyclones seemed in danger of taking a step back.

Looking for a way to ignite the offense, Campbell turned to freshman quarterback Brock Purdy. No. 24 Iowa State responded by winning seven of its final eight games to earn a date with No. 13 Washington State in the Alamo Bowl.

“He certainly was a sparkplug, because he took advantage of his opportunity when it came his way,” Campbell said. “Since that point, our football team has taken a huge step forward.”

Before Purdy became the starter, Iowa State averaged 17.5 points and 299.5 yards per game.

With Purdy at the helm, the Cyclones averaged 31.5 points and 388.8 yards per game.

“Coach told us a lot of people were going to count you out, but we never counted ourselves out,” wide receiver Hakeem Butler said. “We just kept on pushing and worrying about ourselves. In that locker room, we’re a family. That’s all we worry about is each other. I think that’s what’s led us this far.”

Campbell said Butler and running back David Montgomery were key to helping Purdy find his way. Butler leads the Cyclones with 51 catches for 1,126 yards and nine touchdowns, while Montgomery has run for 1,092 yards and 12 scores.

Purdy has averaged 241.9 passing yards per game as the primary quarterback, completing 66.3 percent of his throws with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also run for 262 yards and three scores.

“No. 1, he has the ability to create,” Campbell said. “But it’s also a sense of leadership and ownership. At a really young age, he has been able to come in and command the offense.”

Campbell said he would rather play a quarterback too late than too soon, wary of putting a player in a situation that could harm his development.

When Kempt was injured and Noland took the reins, Purdy pressed forward, practicing and preparing as if he deserved the job. He made his debut as the starter Oct. 6 at Oklahoma State.

“By the time we went into Oklahoma State, he had earned the right to get on the field,” Campbell said. “He won the locker room and the respect of his teammates by how he prepared.”

Purdy was often overlooked during the early stages of his recruiting process after he missed time battling mononucleosis during his junior season at Perry High in Gilbert, Ariz.

At Iowa State, Campbell said Purdy has shown consistent growth, learning how to handle the ups and downs of a season. The Alamo Bowl matchup against Washington State at 8 p.m. Friday will be yet another first for the freshman.

“He’ll step up to the plate, like he’s done before,” Iowa State cornerback Brian Peavy said. “He knows who he is. He knows his identity. He’s a calm and collected guy. He’ll be ready to go.”

Campbell said Purdy has been “excellent” in handling everything that’s been thrown at him to this point.

The offseason will give Campbell the opportunity to tailor the offense to Purdy’s strengths. At the same time, Purdy will be expected to develop as a leader.

“His ability allows the sky to be the limit,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot to grow on.”

After rebounding from the slow start, Campbell said the Cyclones pressed through a “gut-wrenching” loss to Texas. Iowa State also faced inclement weather and poor field conditions that contributed to a narrow 27-24 win against nonscholarship opponent Drake in the team’s regular-season finale.

“It’s adversity after adversity, and we’ve had to persevere and overcome,” Campbell said. “Instead of making excuses or saying it couldn’t get done, finding ways to get through it and finding ways to persevere through it, and I think that’s been part of the foundation of how we’ve built this program.”

Washington State coach Mike Leach noticed the same characteristics during his Alamo Bowl preparation.

“The biggest thing is they just keep playing extremely hard,” Leach said. “One of the biggest strengths I think they have is they just keep playing no matter what, relentlessly, till the clock says zero. I think that’s one of the highest compliments you can give any team or any side of the ball.”

Montgomery said challenges are the norm at Iowa State. Before last year, the program posted seven straight losing seasons. A win Friday would set a program record for victories in a two-year span with 17.

“We’re always looked down on because we’re Iowa State,” Montgomery said. “The old Iowa State. We don’t want to be that anymore. We want to change the program around. We’re still in the process of doing that. It definitely defines what we can be and the potential, so I’m excited.”

Greg Luca is the UTSA beat reporter and general assignment reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. In addition to UTSA, his coverage includes the University of Incarnate Word, the San Antonio Missions, the San Antonio Rampage and other San Antonio area colleges. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Florida and a native of Connecticut. He was the sports editor of the McAllen Monitor from 2014-18.